A known alignment system and method for fuselage structures of an aerospace vehicle, such as an airplane, requires numerous separate measurements (e.g., up to 90 measurements) that are acquired using hand tools. The acquired measurements are recorded and uploaded to a database by hand. The acquired measurements are manipulated using trial and error methods to calculate distances that the fuselage structures need to be moved relative to each other to bring the fuselage structures into assembly alignment. The known alignment system and method is not only time-consuming but also labor-intensive requiring numerous human operators. It would be desirable to overcome drawbacks in known alignment systems and methods for large manufacturing assemblies such as fuselage structures of an airplane.